I Am Alive
by PerditaAlottachocolate
Summary: Adrien's life took an unexpected turn on the day he learned Gabriel's greatest secret. It seemed like the end of the world, but it soon turned out that knowing Hawkmoth's identity was the least of his problems. In fact it might have been a stroke of luck just when he needed it the most. Adrien Appreciation Week connected story.
1. Discovery

_Author's Note: Those of you who've read "April Weather" know, I've been listening to a lot of Jason Mraz lately (it actually goes as far back as the final chapters of "Tomorrow's Hopes"). That's how I discovered "I am alive" by JJ Lin a couple of weeks back. When I heard this song for the first time, it struck me as a very Chat Noir/Adrien piece._

 _I just couldn't get it out of my head (listening to it on repeat probably didn't help lol), and I've decided to write something with it - the Adrien Appreciation Week seemed like a perfect opportunity. I wish I had more time to work on this fic, but quite unexpectedly I started April Weather and my free time disappeared. That's why it might be a bit rough - my apologies in advance. But I hope you'll like it._

 _This is a bit darker than most of my stories I guess, but don't let this discourage you from reading my tribute to the amazing character Adrien Agreste is!_

 _This chapter loosely fits the prompt for Day 4: Fashion_

* * *

1\. **Discovery**

On the day his life took an unexpected turn Adrien caught sight of his father heading to the underground levels of the mansion with a disturbingly dull look in his eyes. It was exactly three years since Adrien's mother disappeared and as each anniversary rolled by he observed Gabriel going through the same cycle. Isolating himself even more than usual, shutting everything and everyone including Adrien out, and wallowing in grief all by himself. The anniversary marked the apex of this process when his father disappeared for a whole day, rescheduling or cancelling the world. That was the one day of the year when Gabriel openly declared there were more important things than fashion.

But this year Adrien had been more concerned than before. The annual depression hit earlier than ever, with Gabriel slowly withdrawing from all activities, which as the boy suspected included eating. His father gradually started to resemble a ghost, with paper skin, bags under his eyes and sunken cheeks. His usual ensemble of red pants and cream jackets had been replaced by greys and blacks at least a size smaller, which increased the impression of Gabriel turning into a living dead.

Funny thing, Adrien thought to himself after his discovery. He had described his father as a living dead while the term turned out to better fit another member of his family, someone he had lost hopes of seeing ever again. And he could swear his own heart stopped for a moment too, when he glimpsed the scene in whatever this place under his house was.

Adrien followed his father only because he didn't like the anguish and desolation he saw in the man's eyes. He slipped into the basement without making a sound and tiptoed to the metal door that was usually secured with bars and padlocks. Not this time. The air had a metallic and humid taste to it when he peeked inside the dark corridor. There was water at the other end; he could not only smell it, but hear the soft hum of waves splashing against the walls.

Fascinated, he entered the passage. And then he heard his father's voice.

'Nothing makes sense anymore,' Gabriel whispered, but the space he occupied must have acted as a giant amplifier because Adrien could hear him as if he was standing next to the man. 'I can't design. I think I've finally lost the little joy fashion brought me.'

In the pause the boy heard a sigh, a sniff and an unfamiliar sound of something rubbing against glass.

'I'm doing everything I can, dear, but it's not enough. It's never enough,' Gabriel continued. 'Everytime I'm close, the miraculous slip out of my reach and I have to start again.'

Adrien shook his head. Did he hear "miraculous"? He felt Plagg stirring in his pocket. The kwami poked his head out and pointed his ears in the direction of the sound, focusing on Gabriel's voice. The kwami shot him a worried look. Apparently he hadn't misheard after all.

'But I will get them, dear, I promise,' now his father's voice broke and a sob escaped him. 'I've learned more about the powers of Ladybug and Black Cat's miraculouses, and I've managed to decode some of the Moth miraculous pages, too. I am getting closer.'

Adrien felt the sudden rush of blood going straight into his head. He leaned on the brick wall of the corridor to steady himself. Plagg flew out of his hideout and to the exit of the passage, leaving the boy alone. This must have been important.

'I will get you back, love,' Gabriel babbled, his speech now peppered with sniffs and sighs. 'I just need a bit more time. Those new powers will help, I'm sure. I just…' he paused again, 'I just miss you so much, Emilie! I keep coming here though it's a torture to see you like this, but I have to. I would probably have gone crazy without seeing you all this time.'

There was a sound of body slipping to the ground, clothes scrubbing over the bricks. Adrien realised it was him. His knees wobbled and bent, unable to sustain his weight. He saw Plagg turning to him and he made a calming gesture, showing that he was fine, or as fine as he could considering the circumstances. He got to all fours and slowly started to move towards the kwami and the end of the corridor, doing his best to focus on here and now.

'I don't care if I have to akumatize the whole city, dear,' his father mumbled as the boy advanced in his crawl, 'as long as I can fix this mistake, it doesn't matter.'

There would be time to digest everything he just heard and was about to see. Now he needed to stay calm, needed to gain as much knowledge as possible. He wasn't stupid, the most important facts had already registered and Plagg's behavior clearly indicated this wasn't a dream or illusion. As one half of the superduo protecting Paris, Adrien had his responsibilities. But there was also a sort of sick fascination at the back of his head, urging him to see with his own eyes, that his ears hadn't lied to him. So he edged to the mouth of the passage and with a nod of agreement from Plagg, risked a look outside.

The space was huge, much larger than he expected based on the echo. Metal platforms ran from wall to wall and in the middle, with greenish water sloshing underneath. The opposite end of this underground cavern was covered in plants, lit by the fading sunlight coming from a huge butterfly-shaped window near the top of the chamber.

His father was standing by a human-sized glass cylinder, his hands and forehead pressed to the surface. He was shaking and whispering things Adrien couldn't make out without the funnelling effect of the passageway. His breathing hitched when Gabriel finally moved away from the glass and wiped it with a cloth.

It was ridiculous, but Adrien immediately thought about Snow White and her coffin. That's how pale his mother's skin seemed under the glass. Blonde ringlets reached her the waist - they were much longer than he remembered. She looked as if she'd been sleeping, with eyes closed, features relaxed and hands crossed over her chest. His gaze travelled to the cylinder and various tubes connected to it and disappearing among the leaves. What the hell was this place? A mausoleum? A crypt? A repository?

He couldn't muse over this much longer as he heard his father's steps over the metal platform. Plagg tugged at his shirt urging him to retreat. Adrien jumped to his feet and withdrew from the corridor as fast as he could, leaving the door closed as he had found it. He sneaked out of the basement level and then ran to his room. He didn't even stop to call his transformation. Adrien entered the room and few seconds later Chat left via bathroom window and vaulted himself over the rooftops and into the falling darkness of the Parisian evening.

Only when he finally got to the top of the Palais de Chaillot he let out a shaky breath and sagged to his knees. He knew he should release his transformation and speak to Plagg about what they had just witnessed. He knew he should get to Ladybug or Master Fu and tell them everything. But right now he needed some time to compose himself, to be left alone and think. To mourn the loss of his obliviousness and innocence.

His head was reeling. He felt as if someone suckerpunched him and then kicked for a better measure. In the span of just a few minutes he lost his family all over again. But somehow this was a hundred times worse. The mother he missed and had been trying to let go of for so long was apparently still alive. The father who had made himself scarce in fact had abandoned him to pursue an insane plan of acquiring magical artifacts in order to fix an unknown mistake. Adrien suddenly felt as if the last three years of his life had been a mistake too.

Three years ago he had a family, a home, a normal life. Now he was a part time superhero fighting a super villain who turned out to be his own kin. He shared a house and last name with his enemy. This thought seemed to be too big to fit into his head. He felt angry, despaired, scared and abandoned. How did one deal with something like that? It was utterly ridiculous. Like some sort of sick joke, like a fantasy story. Like a freaking Star Wars episode.

Finally giving up on reigning in his thoughts, Chat Noir scooted to the edge of the roof, pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Home was the last place he wanted to be right now, so he just sat there like a cat-themed gargoyle and watched the sunset, doing his best to clear his mind and brace himself for whatever the next day held.

He didn't notice the light stomp of feet landing on the roof behind him, nor the soft voice calling his name, until a hand squeezed his shoulder.

'Chat Noir?' Ladybug asked, taking a seat next to him. 'Are you alright?'

All it took was one look and she was already pulling him into a warm embrace. He shivered and melted into her with a quiet whimper. Nothing was ever going to be alright, he thought, but in her arms he could pretend for a while that it would be.

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 _AN: As always I ask you to let me know what you think._

 _I'll try to keep posting daily, though a huge family event is coming that requires a lot of my attention._

 _For more miraculous content visit me on perditaalottachocolate-blog . tumblr . com . Check out tag "perdita writes" for my drabbles and fics or "perdita draws" for my lousy attempts at art. My inbox is always open!_

 _A huge thank you to Remasa for brainstorming the plot line with me and beta reading this story._


	2. Comfort

_Author's Note: This fits the prompt for Day 3: Favorite Ship_

* * *

 **Comfort**

'I know who Hawkmoth is,' Chat had been gathering courage to get this sentence out for a few very long minutes. He knew he had to pass the news sooner or later and the only thing that was holding him back him was shame. But their job was to stop the bad guy, even if it was his own father. 'And I know why he needs the miraculous. He wants to revert some damage and fix a past mistake.'

Ladybug withdrew from their embrace. 'A mistake?' she echoed.

'He- ,' Chat's voice trembled at the thought of his mother's pale face. 'He lost his wife and wants to bring her back, I think.'

'Who is he?' She knitted her brows and waited expectantly.

He gulped. Even if he wasn't going to reveal his connection to Hawkmoth it still took a lot of nerves. 'You were right in your first surmise,' he finally said, hanging his head. 'It's Gabriel Agreste,' his voice broke at the name. It turned out that knowing and admitting it out loud were two different things.

Chat saw a droplet falling on his leg, then another one next to it. A string of tears streaked his cheeks. He felt Ladybug's fingers on his face, wiping them out. A sudden fear gripped him. A true hero shouldn't be vulnerable or broken, but strong and confident. Would she despise him because of this? Would she consider him weak, not suited to be her partner? He raised his eyes to her.

Concern marred Ladybug's features as she looked at him, still silent. Her gaze was sad, yet he found no reproach there, no disdain, only compassion and something else, something that lit her eyes with a strange gleam. Something that looked worryingly like… recognition.

'It's okay,' she breathed, pulling him to her again. With his head rested against her chest and her arms tightly around him, he found it hard to think of anything but the erratic beating of her heart filling his ears. Had she worked him out? Did she know?

'I'm sorry,' she whispered into his hair, rubbing soothing circles onto his back. 'I'm so sorry this happened to you,' she crooned. 'But we'll think of something. We'll fix this. You are not alone, I promise.'

Chat pulled away from the hug to look at her again. He didn't dare to voice the question, but Ladybug knew what he wanted to ask anyway. She blinked and nodded slightly.

'Whatever happens, I won't let you handle this alone,' she vowed.

He stared at her for what felt like eternity. She patiently held his gaze. Finally the corners of her lips quirked in a soft smile as she put her hands to his cheeks. She lean in and gently kissed his forehead to seal her promise, caressing his face at the same time. His breathing hitched, as he let himself bask in her attention. When he felt her pulling away, he caught her wrists to keep her hands in place and she stopped mid-move. She resumed her caress, eyes brightening.

What had he done to deserve this divine presence in his life? Her touch felt like home, the one he missed, not the one he left behind. Her eyes were the best welcome he could dream of. Not only wasn't she pushing him away, but she recognized his distress and followed his need to be comforted. She took her time, slipping her fingers into his hair and stroking behind his ears. His real ears, hidden under the blonde thatch on his head. Her touch stirred something within him. Maybe it was irrational and selfish. Maybe it was a cat thing. Maybe it was a simple instinct to seek consolation. Or maybe it was the abandoned Adrien hiding deep down, longing for a companion, wishing to belong to her and claim her as his own.

Chat tilted his head up and looked at her. His gaze flickered to her lips and he licked his own instinctively. Ladybug followed the movement, swallowing hard. But she didn't take her hands from his hair, didn't pull away. Her eyes returned to his - wary, but trusting. She frowned, as if considering his signals before reaching a decision. When she leaned in and brushed her lips against his own he sighed blissfully.

The kiss was slow, tender and testing, her soft lips lightly moving against his own. But it still managed to set his skin on fire. Nothing and no one existed at that moment, just her. Her warmth, her affection was like air to him. He wanted-, no, he _needed_ more. He needed all of her. Chat released the hold on her hands to caress her face. The kiss turned into something more desperate, hungry, when he reciprocated, pouring all the longing, all the love and all his distress into it. He crashed his lips into hers, wishing they could melt into one. Ladybug wrapped her arms around his shoulders, replying to his assault with her own fervor.

It was like a chain reaction. Once he started, he didn't know how to stop, he completely lost himself in her. He was greedy for every sigh, every touch, her presence anchoring him, giving him the comfort and strength he sought. His numb form filled with life again. And she was the source of it all. He simply couldn't let go.

Thankfully the need to breathe kicked in and Ladybug withdrew from the kiss. He tried to dive in for another one, but she put a finger to his lips, panting heavily. Only then Chat's brain finally rebooted, presenting him with a list of issues, one of which was the sudden outburst of affection that transpired between them a moment ago.

'You kissed me,' he pointed out eloquently. He was still a little high, but with no amount of satisfaction did he notice she was at least slightly flushed.

'Mhmm,' Ladybug pursed her lips. 'You kissed me back,' she whispered, arching her brow. His reply to her gentle touch was definitely more than "a kiss", but she mercifully didn't comment on that.

'I… um… I'm sorry,' he bashfully rubbed at his neck.

Ladybug snorted. 'Well, I'm not.'

'What about that… other boy?' Chat was a bit surprised with his own forwardness.

She ducked her head and wrapped her arms around her middle. 'There is no other boy,' she admitted.

'B-but you said…'

'I know what I said,' she sighed sadly.

Now he was at a loss, cognitive dissonance hitting him hard. Times when she was oblivious to his feelings or dismissed them were long gone after all, she had known how he felt about her for quite some time, but that kiss was no friendly peck on the cheek.

'Does this mean - ?'

'It means,' she squared her shoulders and finally met his gaze, 'that you were your own competition, Chat, and now that I know you whole, I love you even more.'

He gaped at her, mouth opening and closing a few times as he tried to comprehend all this. Did she just say she _loved_ him?

'You… I… that was _Adrien_ you were talking about?' he spluttered.

Ladybug blushed delectably and giggled at his stupefaction. 'Please don't talk about yourself in third person,' she chided. 'It's a very Chloe thing to do.'

'Chloe…,' he echoed. He had to agree that was a very Chloe thing. The cogs in his brain were turning at full speed now, clicking the pieces together. 'You know me outside of the mask', he gasped. 'You're not just a fan.'

'I am,' she proudly stated. 'Both Adrien's and Chat's. I am your biggest fan, Kitty,' she leaned in to brush her nose against his, causing heat to crawl to his face. 'But yes,' she added pulling back, 'this is not a fangirl infatuation. I know you. And since you let me know who you are the only thing that's left for me is to return the favor.'

She moved away from him, and before he could understand what she was doing, she uttered, 'Tikki, spots off.'

'No!' Chat squeezed his eyes shut. He breathed heavily when he realized Ladybug was now sitting in front of him, untransformed and unprotected. He reached out blindly and found her hand. It took heroic amounts of self control not to drop his own transformation and finally feel her skin against his own. But he couldn't resist just that little curiosity, so he raised her palm to his face and gently rubbed his uncovered cheek against it, reveling in the softness of the sensation.

'Please, Ladybug,' he whispered, keeping his eyes shut. 'Please, transform again, my Lady. I beg you.'

'But… you've always wanted to know,' not-Ladybug murmured.

Chat knew that voice. He had to stop himself before he could put a face to it. 'I still do,' he admitted. 'But considering who Hawkmoth is,' he winced at the painful knowledge, 'this is too dangerous now for me to know.'

'I trust you, Chat,' came a reply. Her hand was still on his cheek, thumb tracing the edge of his mask.

Up this close she also smelled familiar. The sugary, buttery scent with a hint of flower essense was driving his senses crazy. Even the way she breathed sounded familiar to his enhanced hearing. He knew he felt this presence before, more than once. He had to get her to transform before he would be able to figure it out.

'I know, my Lady,' he squeezed her wrist and kissed the inside of her palm. 'But not now. I'm not ready. It's too dangerous.' He pleaded. One revelation a day was more than enough for him. He wasn't sure he could handle knowing both Hawkmoth's and Ladybug's identities at the moment. 'I'll take a raincheck on that reveal? Once it's over, okay? Please?'

'Okay,' she agreed after a moment of hesitation. 'Whenever you're ready, just tell me,' she amended before calling on her transformation again.

Chat waited a moment for good measure before opening his eyes. Ladybug's suit was back in place, although the damage was done. He knew a lot more about his Lady than before, and he knew it would only take a clue or two now to connect the dots.

'Hi,' she waved shyly at him.

He smiled, taking her hands in his. He already felt the soothing effect of her presence, the solace he wouldn't have dared to ask for, but somehow received when he needed it the most. He trusted her, when she had promised he wouldn't be alone.

'Hi,' Chat replied, bringing their foreheads together. 'I don't know what I would do without you, bug,' he whispered, but then a thought hit him. 'Why are you here actually?' he asked pulling away.

Ladybug winced. 'I've been looking for you, because I have some bad news, Chat,' she said reluctantly.

'Worse than my father being Hawkmoth?' he snickered humorlessly. The laughter died in his throat when she bit her lip and nodded.

* * *

 _AN: Let me remind you that this author appreciates your follows, favs and reviews very much! Thank you._

 _For more miraculous content visit perditaalottachocolate-blog . tumblr . com . Check out tag "perdita writes" for my drabbles and fics or "perdita draws" for my lousy attempts at art. My inbox is always open!_

 _A huge thank you to Remasa for brainstorming the plot line with me and beta reading this story._


	3. A new threat

_Author's Note: For those who were curious how Ladybug knew who Chat was - is there anyone else who would have been so devastated that Hawkmoth turned out to be Gabriel Agreste?_

 _This fits the prompt for Day 5: Patrol_

* * *

 **A new threat**

There was a new threat, Ladybug said. Something far more dangerous than his Hawk Daddy, or any other villain in possession of miraculous. Adrien wondered if magical poacher wasn't the best term here. What other words could be used to describe an alien entity that was drawn by the energy of the miraculous jewels? That hunted the holders and the kwami? As Chat Noir he placed himself near the top of food chain, but it turned out that soon every holder could be at risk of becoming prey.

When there are many miraculous jewels stored in one location, without special precautions, they distort the space-time continuum, they curve the quantum magic field, making them shine like a beacon for anyone who's searching. Master Fu had created such a beacon by bringing the jewels to Paris. Hawkmoth had helped him, by forcing the old Guardian to activate two most powerful of the jewels. Hand in hand they brought this threat upon their heads, as well as Ladybug's and Chat Noir's.

This new danger meant a few things for them.

'No more patrols,' Ladybug ordered.

'Sure, no more _solo_ patrols,' he agreed, already looking for a loophole. 'But if you or Rena join me-'

She dropped her gaze to her lap. 'Rena won't be joining us for a while, Chat,' she murmured sadly. 'Master Fu is taking all the remaining miraculous away.'

'B-but… what about Hawkmoth? Aren't we going to finally stop him?' he asked.

The thought that this could still drag for some time hadn't occurred to him. When he discovered his father's secret he kind of had been bracing himself for a final solution as soon as possible. They had been fighting for so long after all. Paris deserved to be a supervillain-free city.

Ladybug shook her head. 'The guardian already left for Tibet this evening. He left us both messages but-'

'-but I was unavailable,' Chat finished. 'Yeah, perfect timing,' he added bitterly.

'From what he said this is serious,' she explained. 'He wants to take the rest of the jewels to the old temple of guardians. As I understood it, he's doing this to draw attention away from Paris and buy us some time. And the temple had some screening devices or spells or something, that will hide the miraculous from this entity. Fu is either going to bring the device thingy back here, or secure the jewels there.'

'But he's leaving us here on our own,' he chewed at the inside of his cheek. 'With Hawkmoth and this new enemy.'

Ladybug put a hand on his shoulder. 'We can keep Hawkmoth at bay. We've been doing this for so long. And with what you've discovered maybe we can at least prevent him from akumatizing people for some time?' she suggested. 'First thing that comes to my mind is that you can keep him busy so that he can't release akumas? But I'm sure we can think of something more sophisticated, before we come up with a plan to stop him entirely.'

'I honestly thought Fu would help us with this,' Chat sighed.

'You have to remember, that now us and our kwamis are at risk,' Ladybug said. 'Master Fu said there's nothing more important that keeping the miraculous safe. Those without holders can't protect themselves, like we can protect Tikki and Plagg.'

'And Hawkmoth,' he realized.

'What?'

'You said miraculous holders and their kwami. Father has the moth miraculous and a kwami,' he pointed out. 'He's at risk too.'

Ladybug inhaled sharply. 'Crap,' she cursed, and instantly covered her mouth. 'Sorry!' She mumbled.

'We have to take that miraculous away from him,' Chat stated. 'Otherwise we can't guarantee the safety of his kwami nor his.'

His partner sighed and rubbed her eyes. 'Why does everything always happen at once?' she complained. 'I'm too tired to think straight right now. Too much information to process, I guess.'

Now it was his turn to squeeze her shoulder. 'I agree. This is too much for one evening. I suggest we regroup, have a rest and come back to this tomorrow.'

'Right,' Ladybug nodded. 'We need to think what assets do we have at hand.'

That reminded him of a shortage of a very important cheese. 'Speaking of assets, has Master Fu left anything for us? I'm out of my special camembert again,' he admitted, wincing.

Ladybug giggled at his sour frown. For the last two years he'd been complaining a lot about the form in which his special powers were stored. _She_ got cute little macarons, that after a few months were still edible, if a little stale. _He_ was stuck with stinky rainbow cheese. It was easier to store than the usual kind, the ingredients possibly making it last longer, but the inevitable result was still a colorful mold of rotten milk that smelled as if something had been living and then died in there.

'Fret not,' his partner smiled. 'I was told a fresh batch of Plagg's treat is waiting for you.'

'Yaaay,' he whisper-cried in mock enthusiasm.

'Let's meet at Fu's tomorrow at eight. He gave me a spare key,' Ladybug said stretching her arms and yawning. 'I'm sure we'll have better ideas after a good night's sleep.'

Chat slumped at that. He didn't want to go home. He felt Ladybug pressing herself into his back. Her hands snaked their way around his waist and she put her chin on his shoulder.

'Don't worry,' she whispered into his ear. 'We'll handle this together.'

'I know, Buginette,' he turned to her bringing their foreheads together. 'Will we talk about _this_ too?' he added stealing a quick kiss. His heart skipped a beat when she didn't pull away, but snuggled closer. It was a nice distraction. Something he really could use right now, to postpone the thoughts of coming back to his house.

'Something tells me, you would want to do other things than _talk_ , Chat,' she murmured, tapping at his bell.

'I might,' he admitted with a grin. He could feel the heat from her face and briefly wondered if his was similarly warm.

'Then we really need to talk first,' Ladybug bopped him on the nose and finally withdrew.

He chased her with puckered lips. 'Hey! Don't I get a goodnight kiss?' he pouted.

'Tomorrow,' she offered.

Chat fluttered his eyelashes and scrunched his nose.

'Not the kitten eyes!' Ladybug gasped dramatically, but he didn't need his night vision to see the flush right under the edge of her mask.

'Purrety pawlease?' he threw in a pair of begging paws for better measure.

'Hmmm,' she narrowed her eyes as if considering his plea. 'Since you're asking nicely…' she grabbed him by the bell and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. She was already a step away before he could even think about reciprocating.

'Night, Adrien,' she breathed. 'See you in a few hours.' And with that she took off.

The memory of her breath on his face, and the touch of her lips on his, stayed with him on his way home, making the journey and the arrival almost bearable. But they didn't manage to chase away the dark thoughts that the night brought. He barely slept a wink listening to any suspicious sounds or footsteps. Logically he knew he was as safe as every other night for the past three years, but his stomach was still clenched and twisted. He was actually glad for the sunrise to come, so that he would finally get out and do something.

That's how Adrien found himself on his way to Master Fu's massage parlor half an hour earlier than he should. Ladybug promised to meet him inside the shop, transformed. Fu had equipped her not only with a spare key, but also with instructions as to their special treats' whereabouts. They were supposed to come up with a plan of getting to Hawkmoth without putting either of them at risk, so Adrien was trying to think of every useful fact about his father he knew. Anything that could give them an edge. Despite Ladybug's warnings from their last encounter he had not been paying enough attention to here and now.

The mental pressure hit him as soon as he turned the corner to Master Fu's street. As if he walked into a rubber wall, he bounced off of thin air and looked around confused. His head started hurting and his vision blurred. Adrien did his best to focus on what was happening and power through the strange sensations.

There was a figure standing in front of the parlor, as tall as a grown man and vaguely human in shape. But it didn't look like anything Adrien had seen, in real life or in digital world of games and anime. The best he could come up with was a curved space, that somehow seemed more dense and darker in the place the figure occupied. He stared dumbly at the apparition, until he registered the mad jolting in his pocket.

Plagg was bumping into him and tugging at his shirt. 'That's the bad guy, kid,' he hissed. 'Snap out of it and run!'

But Adrien couldn't run. Not when he noticed who the entity dragged out of the shop. Not when he saw her fighting fiercely to break free. Not when his blood froze with the horror of seeing the creature tightening its hold on her. The boy pushed into the rubber wall and the pressure lessened, allowing him inside. But he couldn't move faster than a snail, as if he was wading in jelly.

She caught his eye and shook her head, signaling him to not come closer. Her hands went to her ears and he saw a flicker of light as two small black items slipped to the pavement and rolled to the side. Her gaze went to the place where they landed, and then to him to check if he understood.

'Run!' she screamed at the top of her lungs and stopped resisting.

Adrien doubled his efforts to move to her, but the entity was much faster. It disappeared before he even got to the earrings lying on the ground. Ladybug saved her miraculous, but this time she couldn't save Marinette as well.

* * *

 _AN: Thank you for all your follows, favs and reviews so far! They make me happy and let me believe this story is worth writing!_

 _For more miraculous content visit perditaalottachocolate-blog . tumblr . com . Check out tag "perdita writes" for my drabbles and fics or "perdita draws" for my lousy attempts at art (including some Marichat May doodles). My inbox is always open!_

 _A huge thank you to Remasa for brainstorming the plot line with me and beta reading this story. Check out her stories! They're amazing!_


	4. The enemy of my enemy

_Author's Note: This chapter fits the prompt for Day 1: Friends_

* * *

 **The enemy of my enemy**

Adrien paced around his room stopping from time to time next to the coffee table, where Plagg sat and stared in silence at the pair of now red and black-dotted earrings.

'What now?' the boy asked for the hundredth time.

The kwami shrugged for the hundredth time in reply.

'Really, Plagg?' Adrien huffed. 'What do we do?'

'Nothing,' the little cat drawled, not taking his eyes off the jewels.

'What?' The boy whipped his head so fast he almost got whiplash.

'The Ladybug miraculous is safe. That's our priority, kid,' Plagg stated gloomily.

'Wasn't our priority to protect innocent people from coming to any harm?' Adrien took a seat on the couch and eyed his kwami.

The black cat sighed and turned to him. 'No. You need to understand that protecting the miraculous is the priority for mankind. Once that- that _thing_ gets them in its paws, you cannot recreate them. You lose a crucial element of the universe and the power that goes with it.' He flattened his ears and pointed to the Ladybug miraculous. 'Those earrings have had many, _many_ holders, Adrien. As has my ring,' he added sadly. 'People come and go. But the power, _the essence,_ stays. It lasts throughout millennia and assists when it's needed.'

Plagg flew to the boy and settled himself on his palm. 'Being a hero is a risk. You of all people should know it best, kid. Ladybug knew it too. She renounced the miraculous to save it and to give _you_ a chance. This was her will and it's your mission now. You have to think of the bigger picture.'

'This is stupid,' Adrien shook his head. 'What kind of hero does this make me if I can't save her, Plagg? If I'm not even going to try?'

'The one who lives to see another day?' The kwami arched a brow and snickered humorlessly. 'Look, she only did what you usually do during your battles. She was already compromised, so she served as the distraction to keep you and the earrings safe. Now wasting her sacrifice - _that_ would be stupid.'

'There has to be a way,' the boy ran his fingers through his hair and pulled in exasperation.

'That's the only logic that applies, kid,' Plagg replied. 'I'm really, really sorry.'

'Well, do you know anything about that creature?' Adrien would be damned if he gave up so easily.

'Why?'

'Well, obviously me or Father are the next prey in line,' the boy evaded, 'I need to know what's coming after me. Can you sense it or find it for example?'

The kwami shot him a worried stare, but didn't question this explanation. 'I've heard some things over the years. We've lost a few brothers and jewels, but I wasn't around then to witness it. Those creatures are powerful, but they are also easily scared. I'm guessing they manifest here as a form of energy, and yes, I can sense them in the same way they can sense quantum magic that I'm made of. That's how Fu knew it was coming - from Wayzz.'

'And there's no way to stop it?' Adrien pressed on. 'How come there are still miraculous and kwami if these creatures are as dangerous as you paint them?'

Plagg winced, clearly unhappy that he got caught. 'When there were more guardians they could somehow banish these entities to their own domain,' he said reluctantly and quickly added, 'I doubt Fu can do this. Not at his age and alone. You need a lot of energy to close the portal once it's gone.'

The boy tapped his chin. 'How much energy?' he asked. 'As much as it takes to… let's say… cataclysm a building?'

'Oh, no, you don't get to do this, kid,' Plagg snarled. 'This would not only be incredibly stupid but also irresponsible!'

Adrien set his jaw. 'And if it took Tikki instead of Marinette,' he asked. 'Would you be telling me the same?'

The kwami fell silent, ears flat, and the little tail lashing behind his back. 'Yes,' he finally admitted. 'It probably took Marinette to set a trap. It knew as a duo you'd be more difficult to fight. But you felt what it was like to be near it. You don't stand a chance alone.' He hung his head. 'I'm really sorry.'

'But what if I'm not alone?' Adrien asked.

Plagg sighed. 'Fu left with the rest of the jewels. There's no one here to help.'

'Ooooh, there is,' the boy jumped to his feet and clutched at his hair. His eyes lit with the epiphany. 'There is one more active miraculous wielder in Paris left!' He exclaimed. 'But how do I get him to cooperate?'

The kwami flew to his face. 'That's a really bad joke, Adrien.'

'It's not a joke,' he shook his head.

'You wouldn't,' Plagg hissed.

Adrien shot him a determinant glare. 'Watch me. Claws out!'

Cataclysming the safe in his father's office was a piece of cake. Getting his father to leave the office before that had been more tricky, but finally Gabriel had to give in to the needs known to every living thing and he left to pay the bathroom a visit.

Chat Noir briefly considered destroying the golden painting as well, as an evidence of his determination, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He settled for getting it off the hinges and taking it to the side, so that the damage done behind it could be seen at first glance. He took only the grimoire, the peacock brooch and his mother's picture with him, throwing the rest of the contents of the safe to the floor and leaving the shelves empty. Hurrying, before he would run out of time, he vaulted himself out of the window and a leap later he was already in his own room, dropping his transformation.

'What the hell do you think you're doing, kid?' Plagg scolded him as soon as he was out of the ring. Adrien shoved a wheel of camembert in the kwami's face.

'Taking hostages,' he replied, unabashed with the little cat's nagging. 'So that Hawkmoth has a reason to cooperate _and_ leave our miraculouses alone.' He ran to the second level and rummaged among the DVD boxes, until he reached his own safe and carefully deposited the loot inside.

Plagg stuffed half of the wheel into his mouth and swallowed. 'You really think he'd choose a book and a brooch over your ring or Ladybug's earrings?' he snorted. 'When have you had your head last examined?'

'There's plenty of jewelry in this house, Plagg,' the boy countered getting down. 'But only this brooch was in a hidden, extra secret safe, together with the book on miraculous. You can't tell me this doesn't mean it's important.'

The kwami wolfed the rest of the cheese before replying. 'This is a shot in the dark, kid. You might regret playing with fire like that.'

'Well, then, I will get up and keep on trying,' he shrugged. 'This is the best I have for now. Are you full?'

'Never,' Plagg grinned. 'But I see that this will have to do.'

Adrien nodded and called the transformation again. He slipped to the office through the window that he had left ajar to find an extremely pale Gabriel in front of the hole in the wall and staring at the little black card with a green paw-print. The man's brow furrowed in rage, his hands gripping the desktop so tight that his knuckles went white.

Chat Noir sauntered in his direction, flipping open the screen on his baton and scrolling to the pictures of the contents he had taken earlier. He flashed the man a sinister smirk.

'Looking for something, _Hawkmoth_?' he drawled.

* * *

 _Author's Note: These next few days are going to be very busy for me. Sorry in advance if I don't reply to your comments before posting the next chapter. I promise I will get to it!_

 _Thank you for all your support so far. Let me know, what you think of this update. 3 more chapters to go!_

 _For more miraculous content visit perditaalottachocolate-blog . tumblr . com . Check out tag "perdita writes" for my drabbles and fics or "perdita draws" for my lousy attempts at art (including some Marichat May doodles)._

 _A huge thank you to Remasa for brainstorming the plot line with me and beta reading this story. Check out her new story "The Merchant of Paris"! It's brilliant!_


	5. The falling sky

_Author's Note: This chapter fits the prompt for Day 2: Hero/Villain_

* * *

 **The falling sky**

The abandoned building seemed to be cracking at every blast of wind. Chat Noir stomped lightly checking room after room, with Hawkmoth at the rear.

'So what exactly do you expect to find here?' the villain whispered.

'I told you, an enemy of miraculous magic,' he replied as loud as he dared.

'Is this really wise?'

'No,' the feline hero said bluntly. 'But it abducted a girl and we need to save her.'

' _You_ ,' Hawkmoth pointed out. 'You need to save her.'

Chat turned to him with a hostile grin. 'That's right. _I_ need to save her, and you're here to help. So shut up and start helping.'

His substitute partner grumbled under his breath and made a show of checking the room on the opposite side of the corridor.

'I'm sorry but I'm still not sure I follow,' he spoke after a while. 'Are we here only to free someone or fight that thing?'

'Preferably both,' Chat admitted. 'But if we need to decide, the girl has priority.'

'The girl?' Hawkmoth scowled. 'Isn't it obvious that the miraculous should get the priority? They are eternal and powerful, they can assist mankind for millennia to come. People are replaceable.'

The boy shot him with a stern glare. 'If people are replaceable, why did you release akuma after akuma for the past three years?' he asked.

'That's different,' the villain paled. 'This concerns a person I care deeply about.'

Chat quirked his brow. 'So is this,' he said. 'Personal and important sometimes overlap. What and why I'm doing is entirely my business.'

'Except that if you die you can't keep your side of the bargain.'

'Then you'd better make sure I don't die,' the boy replied, gritting his teeth. 'Let's move on, shall we? This place gives me creeps.'

It wasn't only the place, he had to admit, but also the miraculous holder accompanying him. Taking the peacock brooch away turned out to be the right decision. His father was terrified of losing it. He tried to threaten Chat, he tried to bribe him, he did everything short of outright begging to get that piece of jewelry back. Chat was adamant about keeping it until he got what he wanted - a truce and assistance against the miraculous poacher. The whole ordeal had Adrien think, there must have been much more to the peacock shaped ornament that met the eye. He briefly wondered in what way had it been connected to his mother.

Now he was exploring the location Plagg had directed him to with his father in tow, both of them in their magical suits. He would have laughed at the ridiculousness of this family excursion, if they hadn't needed to keep quiet. Plus it would be difficult to explain to Hawkmoth why was he cackling to himself. Adrien felt bad about blackmailing the man into cooperation, but he reached a conclusion he really didn't have a choice. If only he could stop keeping one eye on the villain and trust him. That's why the brooch was safely stored in his room, as Chat's insurance that his substitute partner wouldn't bail on him or worse, that he wouldn't attack him. His father was apparently reading his mind, or maybe he was really that obvious.

'Do you have the peacock brooch with you?' Hawkmoth asked.

'Nope,' Chat Noir said with a loud pop. 'Wouldn't want to risk you stabbing me in the back. No offence,' he raised his hands in an apologetic gesture. 'You have my word that it's safe.'

The moth wielder didn't look convinced. 'No offence, but your word right now is worth about the same as the word of a thief and a blackmailer.'

'Well, you know what they say,' Chat shrugged. 'When in Rome... '

'And what's that supposed to mean?'

'That you're not exactly my idea of the most trustworthy person in the world right now. In case you've forgotten, you've been trying your hand at blackmailing us for three years,' the hero rebuked. 'And believe me, I'm trying to trust you harder than any other person might have.'

Quite unexpectedly Hawkmoth laughed at that. It was closer to a snort, followed by a few chuckles. The boy whipped his head at the villain.

'You and I have more things in common that you'd like to admit, Chat Noir,' the moth wielder offered as a way of explanation.

'You have no idea,' Chat murmured under his breath.

One thing he hadn't thought through were the secret identities - would saving Marinette expose her as Ladybug's alter ego? Would Adrien get away without revealing himself? He really missed being able to trust a partner, to rely on them without fear. If his plan did work, there was a very big chance his father would get to know who was hiding under the black mask. If his plan _didn't_ work, his father might never know what happened to his son or where the brooch is. This was eating him alive. Heroes didn't lie, steal and cheat. He realized he couldn't go on like this. The man his father had been before Emilie's disappearance three years ago, would go with him to save another person from danger. He would trust a hero and help him without additional motives. Adrien still hoped that man was somewhere there, behind the grief and madness that created Hawkmoth. Maybe there was a way to save his father too?

They managed to clear the ground level and now they were heading towards the cellars. Chat was still waiting for the rubber sensation to hit them. Plagg had predicted it would affect them less when in suits - as kwami weren't susceptible to those kind of distortions. The hero stopped dead in his tracks, his senses picking the subtle cues of the mental pressure somewhere near. It was now or never.

'Do you sense anything?' he turned to the villain. 'You're an empath, right?'

Hawkmoth narrowed his eyes and concentrated. 'Only mild headache, nothing else,' he stated. 'Either your girl is not here or…'

'Or something is distorting the powers of miraculous,' Chat finished. They must have been close. Would he risk going into battle with so many unknowns, including the loyalty of his current ally?

'You want some ground to trust me? He asked.

Hawkmoth was oblivious to the significance of his question. The villain resolved to chiding. 'You seem to know an awful lot about me, Chat Noir. It's pretty obvious my activity is not going to last long after we're done here. My mission has failed. You robbed me of one of the most precious things I had. I don't have much choice, even if I'd _love_ to trust you,' he mocked.

'So these are the reasons why you are here, helping me?' It was as difficult to hide his disappointment as to stop his false ears from dropping.

'Why indeed,' the man nodded. 'It turns out you're much better at blackmail than me.'

Chat arched a brow. 'You want another reason?

'To do what?'

'To stop akumatizing people? To help me save them?' The boy stared at him intently. 'To trust me?'

Hawkmoth looked at him confused. 'I don't- , in case you haven't noticed I'm not- a hero, Chat Noir,' he offered after a while.

'Neither am I,' Chat said. 'Claws in.'

The moth wielder stumbled and leaned over a wall to keep his body upright. 'Adrien?' he gasped in horror, hand covering his mouth.

'Are you out of your mind!' Plagg hissed as soon as he stopped spinning after shooting out of the ring. His eyes shifting between Adrien and Hawkmoth.

The boy raised his hand to silence the kwami. 'The brooch and the book are in the safe in my room,' he rushed to say everything he had to say, before they would reach the danger. 'I need your help to save a friend of mine, and a person very important to me. I need you to trust me, Father.'

'O-okay,' Hawkmoth breathed, looking him up and down. 'Okay,' he repeated putting a hand on Adrien's shoulder. 'The girl…'

'Is my friend,' Adrien decided to keep the details to himself. His identity was his own decision but he shouldn't make this choice for Marinette.

'No, I mean the girl is there,' the moth wielder pointed to the room on the opposite side of the corridor. 'I sensed her when we got closer.'

Adrien's legs carried him inside before the information properly registered. Marinette was lying on the ground, curled into a tight ball. Her eyes were closed and she was whispering something to herself. Plagg settled next to her and sniffed, then shook his head.

'Marinette?' Adrien uttered, stroking her back. There was no reaction.

'Is she okay?' Hawkmoth asked from his position at the door. He was watching the corridor, his cane at the ready.

'You tell me,' the boy replied. 'She's alive, but either unconscious or dreaming.'

His father concentrated once again. 'She'll come around soon,' he stated. 'I can sense her consciousness surfacing.'

Adrien nodded and sighed in relief. He cast a quick glance to the door. Only Hawkmoth's back was visible in the doorframe, the man still surveying the passage. The boy decided to use this moment. He took out the earrings and slipped them into Marinette's ears, ignoring Plagg's indignant gasp. If she was waking up, she'd better have a weapon at hand.

'You should call on your transformation, Adrien,' he heard his father's voice as he was fastening the second item. 'What are you- ' the man was watching him now with knitted brows. 'Please tell me you didn't take another miraculous here.'

'I-...' Adrien felt an invisible force clutching his head. 'It's coming!' he exclaimed. 'Claws out!'

The pressure surprised them both. Chat was expecting to walk into it, like last time. Instead poured over them, trapping them in a jelly prison. Hawkmoth managed to get to the two teens. He could move faster than Adrien had in front of Master Fu's workshop, but not as fast as the boy was hoping for.

Both wielders brandished their weapons as the entity appeared at the door. Chat extended his baton and batted at it, but the metal bounced off the figure easily. Hawkmoth drew his sword in a dramatic swing. It would look better if he wasn't fighting with the pressure, Adrien thought. The creature took a step back, uncertain, but then caught the tip of the sword in one of his translucent limbs.

'What the-' Hawkmoth gasped, withdrawing the sword, before it would be taken out of his hand.

'It can't be wounded by our weapons,' Chat observed. 'You can cause it pain, but no damage.'

The moth wielder nodded took a swipe with his cane. The entity moved to avoid it and got stabbed with the sword from Hawkmoth's other hand.

'Energy. Plagg said something about energy,' the boy was frantically trying to recall everything his kwami had said. I can try to scare it away with cataclysm.'

'But we don't know the location of the portal to its domain,' his father hissed, swinging his sword again. 'You won't be able to destroy it.'

Chat hesitated. If he used the cataclysm now, he would have to recharge before going after the creature. But the entity was advancing on them, getting closer despite Hawkmoth's thrusts and the swipes of his baton. If he didn't do something now, there might not be any after. Three miraculouses and six lives would be lost. There was no real choice.

'Cataclysm!' he cried and the entity froze and shivered.

Chat took a step closer, raising the hand armed with the destructive power in front of him. The creature retreated, cowering. The hero followed it, slowly forcing it out of the room and into the corridor. He was about to sigh in relief when he saw the entity charging and sinking into bricks next to the doorframe. Without thinking he put his hand to the wall eliciting a piercing shriek from the creature.

The building shook and cracked, the groan of metal beams filling the air. At the touch of his hand the wave of grey that usually marked the trace of his destroying power ran over the surface and disappeared inside. Their enemy staggered back, losing its shape for a moment. Then with a low rumble it disappeared down the passage, taking the rubber pressure with it.

Chat turned around, panting heavily. His father was standing next to Marinette, sword still in his hand. He eyed the groaning walls. 'We need to-'

He started even before the first piece of concrete ceiling landed directly in front of him. In two leaps he was already next to Hawkmoth and Marinette. He threw his father to the ground and raised his arms to catch the beam that would fall directly over them. Even with the strength lent him by his miraculous, he felt his muscles protesting. He cried out at the pain that shot through him, but he kept his hold on the joist.

Around them bits of concrete, metal and glass shattered and fell, covering them in dust and rubble. When the noise died out, and the destruction reached its end, Chat coughed out and tried to assess the damage.

'We're trapped,' he heard his father's voice from somewhere beneath him, clearing his throat.

He blinked. Light was seeping through the few cracks in the rubble surrounding them. They were in a narrow space closed by crumbled walls and supported by the beam, that was pressing him into the ground. His hands were already numb, but when he tried to fix his hold the metal cracked ominously. Another shower of dust fell over them.

And then his ring gave a warning beep. Crap.

He heard his father moving and inspecting their surroundings. The man hummed under his breath.

Chat craned his head to Marinette's still form. 'Is she okay?'

Hawkmoth crawled to the girl. 'She's waking up.'

He saw his father's hand hovering for a moment over the shell of Marinette's ear, and a sudden fear gripped him.

'Don't touch her!' he called.

Hawkmoth withdrew his hand and pulled himself up. He could barely stand straight in the closed space. He brushed some dust from his suit. His eyes darted around to the walls, the beam, to Chat and Marinette. He knitted his brows and grunted, as if he reached a decision.

Knees wobbled under Chat as his father crouched over Marinette once again and took the earrings off. The girl stilled, her eyes blinking open.

'Stop!' the feline hero called, although he was perfectly aware he couldn't do a thing in his current position.

'I need you to calm down, Adrien,' Hawkmoth said, as he pocketed the miraculous.

'Please,' Chat drawled through clenched teeth. 'Please, don't.' He couldn't believe his own eyes.

'It's up to me, how this ends now, Adrien,' his father replied. 'The brooch?'

'Like I said, it's safe in our house,' the boy choked out. His ring beeped again.

Hawkmoth nodded and brought his palms together, whispering something. When he opened them, there was a white butterfly resting on the black glove. It fluttered its wings, but stayed in place.

'Now I need you to listen very, very carefully, son,' his father stated, covering the butterfly with his other hand, 'and do exactly what I tell you.'

The moth wielder closed his eyes, murmuring inaudibly. When he released his hold the akuma took off and started circling over Marinette.

'I need you to take off your ring now.'

* * *

 _AN: This chapter got longer than I planned. I hope you'll like it!_

 _We're nearing the end of this story... 2 more chapters left. Let me know what you think of this update._

 _For more miraculous content visit perditaalottachocolate-blog . tumblr . com . Check out tag "perdita writes" for my drabbles and fics or "perdita draws" for my lousy attempts at art (including some Marichat May doodles and drabbles)._

 _A huge thank you to Remasa for her help with this story (despite the resulting broken heart, sorry!). Check out her new fic "The Merchant of Paris"! It's brilliant!_


	6. Two way street

_Author's Note: This chapter fits the prompt for Day 6: Family_

* * *

 **Two way street**

'I need you to take off your ring now.'

'I- you- _what?!_ ' Chat Noir might have expected many things, but not this. Not an outright betrayal. Not from the man he thought he could rely on. Not an akuma. His arms trembled, causing another shower of dust and debris.

Marinette sat up and stared at the two miraculous holders. She gasped in shock raising her head to the akuma hovering above her.

The ring beeped again.

'I trusted you, Adrien,' Hawkmoth drawled, watching the butterfly. 'Despite the damage and the blackmail, I put my trust in Chat Noir, in you. Now it is time to return the favor.'

'Now? You're talking about trust _now?_ ' Chat spat. He saw Marinette listening intently, her eyes darting to sides. She was already thinking of a plan, he could read that from the frown marring her forehead. He decided to keep talking, to draw his father's attention. 'After I revealed myself, after I explained how important this is, you just went and took the Ladybug miraculous, stabbing me in the back like the villain you have always been. You just went back to your initial plan, right?' he added bitterly. 'I was never important to you, just a pretty face for your posters and catalogues. Mom's the only one who matters.'

His father's face fell and for a moment Chat thought the man looked ashamed.

'I know the things I've done are questionable at best,' Hawkmoth stated, his voice hoarse. 'Even if it was all because of your mother. To get her back not only for me, but also for you. To bring our family back together. I don't expect you to forgive me, but if you think I wouldn't have done the exact same thing if it was you and not her, then you're making a big mistake.'

The man sighed and took a step in Chat's direction. 'Believe me, I know perfectly well how much I'm not father material, but you are loved, Adrien. You matter.' He moved to stand next to Chat, flexing his fingers and rolling his shoulders. 'Now it's up to you to trust me,' he added, voice low and pleading.

The ring gave the fourth warning. Marinette's eyes darted to them in panic.

'Here's the problem, Adrien,' he said, trying out the hold on the beam. 'You will run out of power in less than a minute. There's an entity hunting for us, our miraculous and our kwami. We can't get out. It can get in without any difficulty. Your friend is in no condition to fight, even if she had an adequate weapon,' he nodded in Marinette's direction. ' _My_ powers can provide an adequate weapon should I choose to grant them. Do you understand?

Chat's eyes were as big as saucers. 'You want to akumatize Marinette?'

'I _need to_ akumatize both of you, when you renounce your ring. You saw that one person wouldn't stand a chance.' Hawkmoth replied. 'Joint akumatization. I will hold _this_ ,' his eyes went to the beam, as he mimicked Chat's position, 'for you until you're able to free me from here. But considering I will be holding not only this beam but also three miraculouses, I suggest you free me as soon as you can. With the powers I can grant, you two will be able to face that creature and banish it. _Without_ risking _any_ miraculous.'

Chat was still reluctant. Letting go of his ring, leaving it with someone who had spent the last three years attacking him because of it, seemed like the proverbial leap of faith.

Hawkmoth grunted as he took the weight of the joist. Chat's arms fell down numbly and he sagged to his knees.

'Trust is a two way street, Adrien,' his father continued in a strained voice, shifting weight for a better balanced hold. 'I'm the vulnerable one right now. _I_ trust you won't leave me here. _You_ have to trust me I won't mess up with you while you're under my influence.'

The ring gave the last warning and the wave of green light washed over the black clad hero, revealing an exhausted Adrien underneath. Plagg collapsed next to the boy. Adrien offered him a piece of camembert, but the kwami ignored it watching the only remaining miraculous holder with wary eyes.

'Don't,' the black sprite warned as Adrien's fingers closed over the ring. 'There has to be another way.'

'I can't believe I'm going to say it,' Marinette rasped and cleared her throat, 'but this is a good plan. It keeps the miraculous safe and gives us an advantage.'

Plagg growled under his breath, while the Adrien raised his eyes to the girl. 'You're sure?'

Marinette looked at Hawkmoth for what felt like an eternity. It seemed like she was considering everything, surveying the man, weighing pros and cons. There was no sinister smirk, no calculating look on his father's face, just honesty and concern visible in his features. He swayed slightly under the weight of the beam but he held her gaze.

'Yes,' she finally decided. 'I trust him.' She didn't elaborate on the reasons, just stood and brushed herself from the dust. 'What do we need to do?'

Hawkmoth sighed in relief. 'Do you have anything that I can use as an object for the akuma?'

Marinette patted her pockets and shook her head.

'Would this be okay?' Adrien took out the lucky charm bracelet she had given him. 'It served as an object before,' he scratched his head, causing a small cloud of dust to rise from his hair.

His father nodded. 'This will do just fine. I need you both to hold onto this and concentrate on a strong emotion. Anything will do - determination, fear. I won't judge. I just need something to guide the akuma to.'

Adrien took off his ring and tucked it in Hawkmoth's pocket. He offered the bracelet to Marinette, holding onto one of the beads. 'There's no way this is not going to work,' he whispered, 'when we have the Marinette Lucky Charm Bracelet assisting us,' he winked, eliciting a giggle from the girl. She smiled at him warmly as the akuma sank into the item.

It was difficult to concentrate on anything, Adrien had to admit, when he felt the warmth radiating from Marinette's hand as their fingers brushed. He couldn't get rid of the giddiness at the thought that this was Ladybug right next to him, that she had kissed him willingly, that she promised more. The warmth that was coming from her somehow managed to seep through his skin and fill him as his breathing evened.

He heard a low hum from his father. 'An interesting choice of emotions,' the man murmured, clearly pleased. 'Not something I've ever done, but I can definitely work with that,' there was a hint of smirk in his voice.

 _ **Carbon Copy, I will help you challenge the entity that poses a threat to all miraculous**_ _,_ Adrien heard the voice in his head and had to suppress a chuckle. He felt Marinette snickering under her breath. Someone apparently couldn't resist a good play on words even in times like this.

 _ **All I want from you in exchange are Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miracul-**_

 _Father!_ Adrien groaned inwardly as Marinette snorted next to him.

 _ **Sorry, force of habit**_ _,_ came an amused reply. _**Now, do you accept the powers?**_

 _Yes_ , the boy thought and in his head he heard a faint echo of his partner thinking the same. He felt a wave of magic, similar to his usual transformation, washing over him and Marinette.

When he opened his eyes he looked into a set of blue orbs hidden behind a black mask. The girl was watching him with a broad grin.

'You're Chat Noir again!' She exclaimed and then looked at herself. 'Who am I?'

He inspected her suit. It looked like a very flattering version of his own attire, although he was saddened to discover her lovely hair got shortened to the shape of Chat's usual wild mane. Well, they were Carbon Copy for a reason, he thought.

'What is this?' she asked demonstrating the electric green embroidery on her right hand. 'Something new?'

'Ah, yes,' Hawkmoth grunted from his place under the beam. He looked very pleased with himself. 'How would you feel about multiple cataclysms?'

* * *

 _AN: One last chapter left. I'm not sure I will be able to post it tomorrow, as my day will be filled with family responsibilities and I might not be able to move a finger in the evening. But I will do what I can to get you the epilogue before the end of the weekend._

 _Thank you for all your reviews, favs and follows. I'm happy you liked this dramatic fic of mine. I encourage you to check out my other stories for Appreciation Weeks: Nino's (_ _ChroNINOcles)_ _, Plagg's (One of His Best Kittens), Gabriel's (Days of Gabriel Agreste – from Father's Day to Bite me!), Marinette's (Once There Was a Heroine)._

 _For more miraculous content visit perditaalottachocolate-blog . tumblr . com . Check out tag "perdita writes" for my drabbles and fics or "perdita draws" for my lousy attempts at art (including some Marichat May doodles and drabbles)._ _My inbox is always open!_

 _A gigantonormous thank you to Rem, who despite her broken heart, beta read this story and suggested many useful tips. Check out her new story "The Merchant of Paris" if you haven't already!_ _It's brilliant!_


	7. A new taste (Epilogue)

_Author's Note: This chapter fits the prompt for Day 7: Future_

 _It's late, I'm tired, but I wanted to get this out on time, so forgive me if there are any typos or mistakes. I can't see them anymore._

* * *

 **A new taste**

'Take this to the guardian when he returns,' Gabriel put a small black box on the dining table between Adrien and Marinette. The teens tilted their heads to look at him.

'Is this…?' Marinette raised a brow.

'Yes,' his father replied. 'You can take the moth miraculous, the book and all the scrolls from my safe and give them to the guardian.'

'But?' Adrien sensed there was more, but Gabriel was reluctant to share.

The man fished the peacock brooch from his pocket. 'But I need to keep this.'

Tikki flew out of Marinette's purse while Plagg popped his head out of Adrien's shirt.

'This is the peacock miraculous,' the red kwami stated.

Gabriel nodded. 'This is where my wife is trapped,' he confessed and for a moment he dropped the unemotional façade, grief flickering in his eyes.

'What?' Marinette and Adrien exclaimed.

'How?' the kwami added.

The man took off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. If Adrien wasn't watching carefully, he probably would have missed the single tear that spilled from his eye, before he put the glasses back on.

'This is a story for another day, when we're all rested,' he sighed. 'I feel like today lasted for a week at least.'

With this last mystery revealed now it was obvious to Adrien why his father decided to help Chat Noir against an entity that hunted for miraculous. He couldn't help but to wonder, what would have happened if the entity hadn't showed up at Paris, or if he chose another way of persuading Hawkmoth to cooperate. He had had more luck than he thought.

'I know it doesn't mean much, but I'm sorry,' Gabriel continued in a subdued tone. It seemed as if he was gaining years in the span of minutes. The bags under his eyes deepened, the skin paled. His hair looked more silver than blond. 'I thought that by using both miraculous to make a wish I could fix this.'

'Do you know about the price?' Tikki asked in small voice.

'The price?' the man looked at her in surprise.

'The price of using the power of our joint miraculous,' Plagg supplied gloomily. 'There's always a price for the universe to balance out. Otherwise the guardians would have queues of people wanting to avert things on their doorstep.'

Gabriel nodded. 'I haven't thought about that. I was too focused on my goal,' he hung his head. 'And there may have been a not so small ambition issue after a while.'

Marinette cleared her throat. 'As soon as the guardian returns, we'll talk to him about all this,' she promised. 'There has to be another way to bring your wife back.'

Tikki settled on her chosen's shoulder and nodded encouragingly. She looked extremely proud of her bug, contrary to Plagg who was still sulking, despite the copious amounts of cheese Adrien offered him when they got back.

They were all exhausted, the fight taking its toll on them, despite the powers granted by moth miraculous. As his father had predicted, the two of them were able to circle the entity and push it back to its domain, destroying the passage when it left. Carbon Copy was in fact two Chat Noirs, but their teamwork wasn't affected by the fact that Marinette possessed a different set of abilities. And hearing Hawkmoth's appreciative and encouraging comments in their heads, together with advice and concern was surprisingly nice. Having multiple cataclysms at his command turned out extremely effective, but Adrien felt as if each destruction took the energy out of him directly, even if his father claimed it was all Nooroo's powers. The violet sprite was rewarded generously with a bucket of fruit juice as soon as they got to the mansion. And now it slumbered inside his dormant miraculous.

Adrien reached to take the box with the moth brooch at the same moment as Marinette. Their hands collided and it was like an electric shock. Both of them blushed and launched into a set of mumbled apologies.

'You'll have to excuse me,' he heard his father's voice, 'but I need to retire. Today was very draining. I know you two have some things to discuss,' his eyes flickered to the box on the table, 'but consider saving it for tomorrow after resting. Adrien, I think it would be a good idea to take Marinette home.'

'Thank you,' he added quietly, just before disappearing down the hall.

When he left Adrien felt Marinette's hand on his shoulder. 'Thank you,' she repeated after his father. 'For coming after me. That was very brave.'

'And very irresponsible,' Plagg piped in.

'Well,' the girl hesitated. 'You had backup and it all turned out fine.'

'You have to give your Chosen some credit, Plagg,' Tikki chided. 'Given how little he had to work with, he did splendidly!' The red kwami flew to the boy and nuzzled his cheek. 'Nice to properly meet you, Adrien!' she giggled.

'And you,' Adrien raised a finger and Tikki fist bumped with it.

'Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Plagg,' Marinette gasped. 'We haven't been properly introduced.' She offered the black sprite her palm and he plopped himself on top with a sour smile. 'Well, aren't you the cutest flying cat I've seen!' she exclaimed.

'I'm the only flying cat you've seen,' he grumbled. 'At least I hope so,' he added under his breath. But he let her rub his head and ears with her finger and soon was sprawled shamelessly on her hand as she stroke his back. The content purr was the only proof he was still there.

They decided to walk to the bakery to prolong the time they had. Adrien didn't notice the moment when their fingers entwined and they fell into their routine step of Ladybug and Chat Noir. This was new, at least on this side of the masks, but he could definitely get used to it.

He could also definitely get used to Marinette kissing him. They spend quite some time at the side door practicing this new activity, which left them both flushed, breathless and smiling like goofs. Marinette's fingers slipped into his hair, stroking and tugging, while his hands caressed her back. He wished the slow, leisurely brushes of their lips could never end. His senses were full of Marinette - her touch, her scent, her sighs and breaths against his face and he quickly decided that her arms where his favorite place.

'I could stay here forever,' he murmured blissfully.

Marinette pressed her forehead to his and kissed him on the nose. 'We both need our rest, Chaton,' she whispered. 'But tomorrow is the first day of a better future. One I hope to be spending with you,' she shyly supplied.

Adrien laughed and dove in for another kiss.

'How do you feel now?' Marinette asked pulling away after a delightful moment.

He considered the question. So many things had happened in the span of just two days. Not every trouble had found its conclusion, but the experience gave him more knowledge about himself than three years of vigilantism taken together. He was stronger than he had thought; he had what it took to be a hero not only for total strangers, but also to people close to him. He was loved, and the love he received made him feel as if he was invincible. The terrible weight he didn't know he had been carrying dropped off his chest and he could finally breathe freely.

'Alive?' he offered. For the first time in forever the freedom had a new taste to it and he shivered in joyous anticipation for what the future held. 'I finally am alive,' he decided.

* * *

 _AN: That's all for now. Thank you for reading this story. I know it was more difficult than my usual fics, but I hope you enjoyed this journey. Please, let me know._

 _If you liked my writing, I encourage you to check out my other stories for Appreciation Weeks: Nino's (_ _ChroNINOcles)_ _, Plagg's (One of His Best Kittens), Gabriel's (Days of Gabriel Agreste – from Father's Day to Bite me!), Marinette's (Once There Was a Heroine)._

 _A sincere and gigantic thank you to Remasa for brainstorming the plot line with me and beta reading this fic. Check out her stories, they are great!_

 _Now I'm talking a short break, but I will be back soon with another multichapter and maybe some drabbles or oneshots._

 _For more miraculous content visit perditaalottachocolate-blog . tumblr . com . Check out tag "perdita writes" for my drabbles and fics or "perdita draws" for my lousy attempts at art (including some Marichat May doodles and drabbles)._ _My askbox is always open!_


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